Stepping Stones
by dooderu
Summary: Matsunaga Tomoya made it his daily routine; to walk Tsutsui Mari home everyday after school. And with each step they take, a new progress in their relationship is made.
1. Stepping Stones

**Currently hooked with Nijiiro Days. And totally shipping Mattsun and Mari-chan~~~**

 **The fic takes place after chapter 42(a week hahaha) where good things for my babies are about to happen. If you don't want any spoilers, please don't read this :)**

* * *

Matsunaga Tomoya stood on the entrance of their school by the shoe lockers, waiting for a certain raven-haired spit woman who was currently changing her shoes. He glanced at her direction the moment she finished wearing her shoes and was walking towards him. She gave him her bag and he instinctively grabbed hold of it and the two walked out of the school together. The moment they stepped out of the school's vicinity, Tomoya reached for Tsutsui Mari's hand and intertwined it with his. Mari looked up at him with a slight blush across her face. Tomoya glanced back with a smirk as she rolled her eyes nonchalantly.

They reached the train station in humble silence without throwing insults at one another, which would be quite peculiar given their personalities. And one would wonder why on earth Matsunaga Tomoya would ride a train opposite to where he lives. The answer was simple; he has to make sure his girlfriend goes home safely.

His girlfriend, who goes by the nickname spit woman, held his hand tightly as they went board the station. It was pretty crowded today, he thought, and the number of people inside the train was probably freaking her out. He pulled her closer to him, so that he could place an arm around her securely. At first, Mari was completely stiff until she slowly relaxed in his embrace.

Tomoya smiled to himself. Two weeks ago, Mari would slap his arm away and tell him that they were in public and PDA is very much embarrassing.

On the first week that they began dating, a week after Mari opened up to Anna and finally realized her true feelings for Tomoya, he would walk her home after forcefully following her until she reached her apartment. And when he reaches for her hand, she would automatically pull her hand back. As frustrating as it was for him, he stayed patient and decided to just wait for her to get comfortable with him. He was a patient guy, after all. And he didn't really mind waiting. If he wanted this relationship to actually last for as long as it could, he would have to wait for Mari to soften up on him.

The second week was as good as he hoped it would be. To hold her hand, he asked for her permission and fortunately for him, Mari would reluctantly nod and let Tomoya hold her hand. That was a good start, he would usually think. She would still throw in some insults aimed at him but it wasn't as bad as when they first met. She would still talk about Anna occasionally, but he could feel that her feelings for her meek friend was already turning into genuine friendship. And that made him kinda happy because that's one less rival to worry about.

And now, was their third week of being officially a couple. Tomoya wouldn't ask if he could hold her hand. He would simply reach for hers and she would leave it at that. Now that made him extremely happy, and that was only Tuesday. And today was Friday, the last day of the week. Things would absolutely get better.

The train finally stopped at Mari's station and the two boarded off the train.

"Do you want to stop by somewhere?" Tomoya asked Mari, to which she answered with a nod.

"Sure."

"Where do you wanna eat?"

"The café by the convenience store."

"Gotcha."

The two walked towards their destination, hand in hand. As they reached the café, Mari's eyes beamed at the different cakes and pastries, making Tomoya smile. She's so damn cute, he thought as he stared at her.

"Quit staring at me, you look creepy. I said wanted the éclair and the strawberry shortcake." she said, as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"You'll get fat with all those cakes, y'know." he replied jokingly, earning a glare from his girlfriend.

"Who the hell are you calling fat?"

"Jeez, I was joking!" he instantly defended himself with his hands raised.

"It wasn't even funny."

"I get it, I'm sorry."

"You're paying for my cake."

"I always do."

"That's 'cause you're my boyfriend." Mari finally said with her arms crossed as she stared blankly at the cakes displayed near the cashier.

Tomoya stopped in his tracks. This was the first time Mari ever referred to him as her boyfriend. Another stepping stone in week three, he mentally noted. He almost cried tears of joy. ' _Dammit, Mari. You're doing it to me again._ ' he thought as his face went even redder.

After paying for their order, Tomoya sat beside Mari in their chosen table. With a smile, he placed an arm around her casually. In return, Mari scooted away from him a bit. With a dissatisfied grunt, he gave her a stare that distracted her.

"What?"

"Oh come on, Mari. We've been dating for three weeks now. Surely this wouldn't bother you."

"I'm not like the other girls that you're used to dating okay? I'm still not comfortable with it."

He internalized what she just said. It was true. She wasn't like the other, easy-to-get girls. This girl, Tsutsui Mari, was the only girl he truly fell in love with. And as corny as it sounds, he was sure of it. He agreed with her and retrieved his arm and waited for their order. Seeing the cake and pastry in front of her, Mari couldn't help but beam and release tons of sparkles all around her.

' _Ah, she's so cute._ ' Tomoya thought as he stared at Mari sincerely, admiring her small details.

"Ugh, you're staring again! You're creeping me out!" she almost screamed at his face with a dessert spoon in hand. Tomoya chuckled at her usual reaction before grabbing his own dessert spoon and scooping a small bite of Mari's cake. She could only glare at him in annoyance.

"Eat your own cake!" she said as she grabbed her plate of strawberry shortcake away from him.

"Well yours just looked more delicious than mine." he said, his voice sounding a bit seductive, making Mari push him away slightly. "You're gross." she muttered.

* * *

Just like the usual, Tomoya walked Mari home. And literally, he walked her until the door to her apartment. As they reached her home, Tomoya peered at her door, as if asking for an invitation inside. As Mari opened her door, he noticed the curiosity and interest in her boyfriend's eyes. She already knew what would come out from his mouth.

"Hey, can I-"

"No."

"I wasn't even finished-"

"No, you can't enter my house."

Tomoya sighed as he gave up. "Fine."

"See you on Monday." Mari muttered as she closed the door. Tomoya smiled to himself. Today wasn't that bad. For starters, she didn't complain when he placed an arm around her on the train and, the most important development of all, she called him 'boyfriend'. That was the highlight of his week. As he turned around to leave, he heard the door from her apartment open, making Tomoya turn around. Not much to his surprise, Mari was peeking out her door. Grinning to himself, he walked back a few steps and smiled at her.

"You forgot something?" he asked.

Mari stared at him with eyebrows crossed and her cheeks slightly red. What has gotten into her, he asked himself. As he was about to ask another question, Mari pushed herself up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, catching the great Matsunaga Tomoya in surprise. He took a step back and placed a hand on his cheek that Mari kissed, his face completely red in surprise and flush.

Mari was almost as red as him.

"T-t-th-thanks… for the cake. And for… walking me home every day." she muttered timidly.

"You're welcome." he replied sincerely as he patted her head gently, making her blush even more. He really had the urge to kiss her, but in their situation right now, he didn't want to break her trust. Mari may seem strong and violent on the outside, but Tomoya knows that she's just like any other girl who's fragile and could break easily. Things for him are going smoothly, and he didn't want to blow that.

"See you." she said with a small smile before closing her door. He stood in front of the door for a few seconds before walking away with a huge grin plastered on his face.

The kiss was definitely the highlight of his week. A kiss that Mari herself initiated. Yep, the kiss was definitely the best thing ever.

In his mind, Tomoya counted from 8 until 1. The moment he said the number 1, his phone rang. He opened his phone and saw a message. It was from Mari.

 ** _To: Matsunaga Tomoya_**

 ** _From: Mari-chan_**

 ** _Have a safe trip home, Tomoya._**

' _Holy shit she just texted me with my name. My first name. Dammit, she really is going to be the death of me._ ' Tomoya thought as he could feel his heart about to explode from his chest.

Oh, the effects she had on him.

And at that point, Tomoya knew that this girl is going to stick with for a very long time. And he's pretty happy with that.

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 **If anybody has the chapter 43 raws, ohmygod I will cherish you forever. Please pm me the link huhuhu.**


	2. Rainbow Days

**Wassup doods! Because inspiration hit me, I have decided to add another one-shot here! I have also decided to make Stepping Stones into a series of one-shots, wherein we could see bits and pieces of Mattsun and Mari's life as a couple~ There is also a probability that the chapters aren't connected to each other. Huehue.**

 **Thanks to your reviews, I suddenly felt the urge to write more fics for these two adorable babies~ I also want to thank all those readers who gave me gists on what's happening from chapter 42 onwards XD It really helped me to write this fanfic~ Shoutout to you guys! Mehe~**

 **As for the other requests, I would do my best to insert some of the couples in the one-shots. That is so because this fic is more MarixMattsun centric.**

 **Hope you enjoy this one!**

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Matsunaga Tomoya heaved a deep sigh inside their classroom, catching the attention of his three friends who were sitting just beside him in their class.

"That sounded like a really, tired sigh, Mattsun. Is everything okay?" Hashiba Natsuki asked, sincerely concerned about him. The blonde boy really is a softie at heart. Tomoya signed once more before leaning on his chair and scratching the back of his head.

"Thanks for the concern, Natcchan. It's nothing." he mumbled, making Natsuki agree with him. On the other hand, Naoe Tsuyoshi didn't seemed to be convinced with Tomoya's answer.

"It has something to do with Tsutsui-san, am I right?" Tsuyoshi casually said, catching Tomoya in surprise. Who is he kidding, anyway? Tsuyoshi was the smartest in their group. He couldn't really dodge a bullet when it comes to lying to him. Natsuki turned his attention back at the red head. "Did you guys fight?!"

"Eh-? No, that's not—"

"Eeeeeh? You have to show her dominance, Mattsun! You don't want to lose her, do you?" Katakura Keiichi, who was holding his usual whip, gave his share of advice to their gloomy friend. As a reply, Tomoya gave Keiichi a glare that didn't seemed to bother the latter at all.

"Mari is not that kind of girl." after a few seconds of pondering, he spoke up again. "Do you really think I'd lose her?" Tomoya added, the worry obvious in his voice.

"O-of course not! No way! Kobayakawa-san even told me that Tsutsui-san was more cheery these days!"

"You can't really say for sure, Mattsun. The future is quite unpredictable."

"Hell yeah you would! Man up, dude! You gotta keep the relationship exciting! Have you guys even kissed yet?"

Natsuki, Tsuyoshi and Keiichi said spontaneously, making Tomoya genuinely confused at the same time, anxious. All three of them had a point, but he has no idea which of them is right, given his current situation. With another deep sigh, he placed his palm on his forehead.

"First of all, thanks a lot Keiichi for making my confidence drop a notch." he said, as he stared at Keiichi seriously. "No problem dude." Keiichi replied, completely unaware of Tomoya's sarcasm.

"Second, that's not really helping, Tsuyoshi."

"I did my best."

"And lastly…" Tomoya paused, sorting his thoughts. But honestly, he only paused for added drama. Somehow, Natsuki became nervous as he anticipated Tomoya's rection.

"She really said that? Mari's become cheery these days? Is it because of me?" Tomoya asked Natsuki, feeling complete joy upon hearing what his friend just said. On the other hand, Natsuki nodded with a thumbs up.

"I think you're doing great with her. Anyway, was that the only problem?" Natsuki asked. He froze, hearing what his friend just asked made Tomoya retreat back to his gloomy mood.

"There's more?" Keiichi wondered out loud. As he pondered about Tomoya getting gloomier as the weeks passed, he realized that it started before the school festival began. That was almost a month ago. He remembered Tomoya complaining something about kissing. And when realization hit him, he instantly beamed at the red head.

"Oh! You two lack make-out sessions!" he loudly declared, making Natsuki blush and Tomoya generally pissed.

"Geez, shut up Keiichi! You don't have to phrase it that way!" Tomoya hurriedly spat back, his face pale. He would have to admit that it was quite embarrassing to let his friends know that he hasn't even kissed his girlfriend yet for the whole month that they started dating.

"Wow… I haven't seen such self-control, Mattsun. I applaud you." Tsuyoshi said, sounding surprised and sincere with what he just said, making Tomoya even more depressed.

"Self-control? More like patience. Man, I'm so scared to rush things with her. She's like this small animal that I have to hold carefully so that I won't lose her." he mumbled quietly, almost barely a whisper. Natsuki patted him on his back to comfort him.

"With your mindset being like that, I don't think you'll lose her, Mattsun." he said.

"I don't really have a lot of relationship advice since S and M isn't your style, but I think you're on the right track with her!" Keiichi added as he shuffled Tomoya's hair playfully. Tsuyoshi stood up and walked towards him, placing his hands on both his shoulders. Then he breathed in before looking at him dead serious in the eye.

"Tsutsui-san's a genuine tsundere, Mattsun. It takes a whole new level of patience when dealing with her kind. But, after all that hardwork of gaining her trust, I assure you that every little bit of sacrifice is worth the wait." he said with his usual monotonous voice. Despite the lack of emotion in Tsuyoshi's voice, Tomoya could definitely feel the concern and sincerity of his advice, and of course his other friends' advice as well. He gave them a wry smile as he looked down on his desk.

"You idiots are the best idiots a guy like me could have." then he looked up at them with a huge grin. "What would I do without you guys?"

"You'd be totally helpless." Keiichi said with a smile.

* * *

Classes were over for the day, and Tsuyoshi was first to leave. Apparently, he and Asai Yukiko are meeting up somewhere to pick up some anime goods that they ordered online. He bid farewell to his friends, and then patted Tomoya on his back with a small "good luck with her" and a thumbs up before leaving. Keiichi headed out as well, saying that he has basketball practice with the varsity.

"Yo Keiichi. Nozomi said something about waiting for you by the gym." he said before the brunet got out of the room.

"Oh right! I'm walking her home, if you don't mind~" Keiichi said with a cheery grin. As dreadful as it was for Tomoya, he gave him a thumbs up. Despite his "preferences" and "hobbies", Keiichi's a nice guy. He could probably trust Nozomi to him. He really hopes.

"Don't lay a hand on her, Keiichi."

"I can't promise anything!" Keiichi said before running down the hall, making Tomoya even more dreadful. "That bastard." he muttered.

"Mattsun! I'm heading to Kobayakawa-san's classroom. Wanna go with me?" Natsuki said as he grabbed his bag and waited at their room's door. Looking up from his desk, Tomoya grabbed his bag and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure."

Tomoya and Natsuki walked towards their destination and stood by the door, waiting for the girls. Noticing that they were just outside the room, Kobayakawa Anna tapped Tsutsui Mari on her shoulder and pointed to where the guys are. Mari looked up from her desk and waved a hand at Tomoya, making him blush and his heart beat faster than ever. He waved back with his most seductive stare, making his girlfriend roll her eyes as she stood up and walked towards him.

"I'm on cleaning duty today. You can go ahead if you want." Mari said with her arms crossed.

"No way. I'm waiting for you." he replied. Somehow, this made her flustered, much to Tomoya's amusement. She also noticed Natsuki's presence.

"Lucky for you, Hashiba. Anna's cleaning duty is next week." she mumbled, mainly to hide her flush, before going back in their room to start her duty. Tomoya grinned to himself as Natsuki patted his back, feeling happy for his friend.

"See? You have nothing to worry about." Natsuki said with a huge smile.

"Yeah. Let's hope it's for the long run." Tomoya said, agreeing with him.

After a while, Anna walked out of their classroom and waved at the two. Then, she bid farewell to Mari. Natsuki scratched the back of his head as he asked her if she wanted to head somewhere before they went home. With a small smile, Anna suggested they eat at a nearby pastry shop that just opened by the train station. Feeling his heart could burst at any time, he nodded and agreed with her.

"O-okay. Let's." he mumbled as the two started to head for the shoe lockers. They both bid their farewells to Tomoya. On the other hand, the red head gave Natsuki a wink and thumbs up, making the blond blush slightly. Realizing that things were going smoothly for his friends, he couldn't help but smile. So this was the beauty of high school, he thought. It was full of ups and downs, and there are gray-colored days. But after all that's come, surely a bright and colorful rainbow was just around the corner.

He entered Mari's classroom as she cleaned the blackboard. He sat down on one of the desks in front, watching his girlfriend reach for the blackboard to erase the writings. It seemed that she has trouble reaching the top. With a smirk, he placed his bag on the desk and stood up, walking towards her and grabbing the eraser from her hand. This surprised Mari, but he continued in erasing the remaining writings in ease.

"It's really cute to see you struggle to reach that far." He said, teasing her. With her arms crossed, she glared at him as she snatched the eraser back.

"You're such a creep." she muttered.

"That's what I get for helping you? Not even a small 'thank you'?" he whined jokingly, which was completely ignored by his girlfriend as Mari continued her cleaning duty by arranging some of the desks in order. Tomoya sighed as he leaned on the blackboard, watching her once more. Since there were only a few disarranged tables, Mari proceeded to sweep the floor.

"Need some help with that?" Tomoya asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can reach all the corners." Mari replied.

' _Man, she is hard to soften up._ 'Tomoya thought as he continued to watch her work. Somehow, this gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling. Seeing her clean made him think of the future. He imagines her in their own house, with Mari doing some chores. Then he would hug her from behind to help her relax. And then maybe she'll turn around and place her arms around her neck. And then he'll pull her closer towards him as he would slowly lean in to kiss her. And as their lips touch, he would slide his hand on her—

"Hey! Are you just going to stand there and look stupid?" Mari called out to him as she placed the broom back to the closet. Tomoya snapped out from his thoughts and smirked at her.

"You love this stupid-looking face." he said with a sheepish grin. Mari looked at him dreadfully before walking towards her desk to grab her bag. As she walked towards him, she noticed chalk dust on his cheek. Instinctively, she reached for his face and gently removed the dust with her hand.

"Geez, you're like a kid." she muttered as she continued removing the said dust. Once again, Tomoya was caught off guard by his girlfriend. So unmanly of him.

Mari's focus then drifted from his cheek to his lips, her hand still on his cheek. And because of the atmosphere and their building hormones, Mari didn't notice that she was waiting for Tomoya's lips to touch hers as he slowly leaned in. And just like that, he kissed her for the first time as a couple. Compared to their first kiss, back when they just met, this one was much softer and warmer. And oddly, Mari found their kiss quite pleasant. She felt secured.

They both pulled away at the same time. Tomoya caressed her cheek gently as he smiled at her sincerely. With her eyes still half-opened, she placed her arms around Tomoya's neck and kissed him once more, catching him in complete surprise. It took him a good few seconds for reality to sink in before he wrapped his free arm around her waist securely and his other hand on her nape.

Despite feeling _urges_ , Tomoya retained his self-control as he gently pulled away from their kiss. Mari then leaned on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks for waiting for me." she muttered, making Tomoya smile in response.

"It's not a big deal."

"Your heartbeat's going haywire."

"That's because you're too cute."

"Creeper."

Pulling away from each other, the two walked out of the classroom with their hands intertwined. This was definitely that rainbow that he was waiting for, and Tomoya is as sure as ever that there would be more brighter and colorful rainbows to come.

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 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Unspoken Words

**I'm on a roll cuz Mari and Mattsun are driving me insane XD Best ship in the series. 10 outta 10.**

 **And since you guys have been really supportive, here's another one-shot~ Though I'm not too happy with this one, I still hope you'll enjoy this chapter~**

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Tsutui Mari was certain of it; her boyfriend was too damn handsome. Every time they would go out, even if he would walk her home or going on a date, she couldn't help but feel the stares of some women on Matsunaga Tomoya. Well, she really didn't care, if you ask her. Tomoya wasn't really hard to ignore, especially with his looks and his bright, red hair. And on some occasions, girls would actually ask for his name and number while she was with him. The nerve of those bitches.

But really, Mari didn't care at all.

Not because she doesn't like Tomoya even if it seems that she doesn't like him, deep inside she loves the red-headed idiot, though there is no way for anyone to make her admit it. She simply trusts him, seeing how he has changed ever since his confession through her door. And partly, because Tomoya doesn't give in to the girls.

And of course, Tomoya doesn't know all about those things mentioned above.

"You don't get jealous at all. That's what bothers me." Tomoya muttered as he opened his can of coffee. It was lunch break in their school, and he decided to hang out with Mari for a bit before heading back to his classroom. On the other hand, Mari stabbed a straw on her juice box as she glanced at him.

"I already told you before, haven't I? I trust you. You're dependable." she replied as she sipped from her juice box. The two walked upstairs to the roof top, the same roof top where Natsuki and Anna confessed their feelings to the other. Once in a while, they would stay for a bit at lunch, only if there was time left before classes resume. Tomoya was quiet for a few seconds before he started talking again.

"…Do you dislike me, Mari?" he asked suddenly, making Mari almost choke on her juice.

"What the hell are talking about?" she asked, her full attention on him.

"Well first, you don't get jealous. And when I suggest that we should go out or kiss, you always give me this mad glare or something!"

"H-hey! I do go on dates with you and we do kiss! What you're suggesting, is we do it every day!"

"That's what couples do!"

"What's the point of doing it every day?"

"To prove that you do love me."

Once they reached the roof top, Mari was practically glaring at Tomoya.

"What proof do you even want?" she asked, her voice was oddly monotonous now. For two months that they have been dating, Tomoya learned to never, ever agitate her when her voice becomes as serious as this one.

"Ah, never mind. I don't like us arguing like this. I'm sorry. Just forget about it." he said before drinking his coffee to the last drop.

"I don't like it when girls gawk at you or ask for your number." Mari suddenly said, catching Tomoya in surprise.

"H-huh?"

"I'm not saying it again! Ugh, just leave me alone!" Mari said as she dashed down from the roof top, leaving a baffled Tomoya behind. With his eyes wide open and his jaw dropped, he suddenly realized that Mari was getting jealous all along. She just wouldn't admit it. When realization hit him, he smiled sheepishly.

On the way back to his classroom, he took a small peek at Mari's class just to check if she was there. And sure enough, she was sitting on her desk and was chatting with Anna, who was sitting just beside her. He couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but from the looks of it, Mari was having fun.

"Geez. If only she'd be that happy when we talk." he muttered to himself. Realizing that classes are about to resume, he continued to walk back to his room.

Upon reaching his destination, he was welcomed with a huge grin from Natsuki.

"Whoa, you're extra cheery today, Natcchan." He said.

"Of course he's beaming with joy. He's going on a date with Kobayakawa-san this Saturday." Keiichi said without taking his attention away from the magazine he was reading. Tomoya chuckled, every time Anna and Natsuki would go on a date, the baby-faced blond looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Natsuki was always easy to read.

"I'm just so excited you know! We're watching a movie! I wonder what I'll wear. Maybe we'll eat at a nearby café too!" Natsuki rambled on.

"Slow down, Natcchan. It's only Wednesday, you know. You've still got three more days to go." Tomoya reminded him, though Natsuki still went on.

"Take her to that maid café Yukirin and I went to, Natcchan." Tsuyoshi suggested as he looked up from PS Vita. Natsuki turned his attention to the raven-haired otaku, and asked a few more questions for date ideas.

"Oh! Right, since you're the one with the longest relationship experience Tsuyopon, what other suggestions can you give for our date?" Natsuki asked, his eyes full of curiosity. And oddly, sparkles. And because Tsuyoshi was too lazy to give an actual answer, he decided to give the responsibility to his girlfriend.

"I'll be meeting with Yukirin after school. Maybe you could ask her for some suggestions." he replied casually.

"Oh! Right! Thanks Tsuyopon~!"

On the other hand, Tomoya and Keiichi stared at Natsuki as if he had offended them.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna ask us?" Tomoya said as he pointed to himself.

"Yeah, Natcchan. I have some pretty good suggestions too." Keiichi said with a whip in hand. The whip alone was enough to convince Natsuki not to ask Keiichi for some date suggestions with Anna. He gulped in fright.

"No thanks, you guys. I'm pretty sure Yukirin can give me some good advice. Plus, it's from a girl's point of view!" he replied with a small smile. Keiichi whined an 'eeeeeeeh?' upon hearing what Natsuki just said. Tomoya on the other hand felt a light bulb shine above his head.

"Maybe I could ask Yukirin for some advice too. From a girl's point of view, right?" Tomoya said.

"Yeah, I guess you could." Tsuyoshi muttered, not looking up from his game console.

"But you have to walk Tsutsui-san home, right?" Natsuki asked. Tomoya thought for a while before making today an exception. He decided that maybe Mari would like to go home with Anna today.

"Plus, Kobayakawa-san would be going home by herself today as well, right? Since you're going to meet with Yukirin." Tomoya concluded. Natsuki then agreed with him.

Classes then resumed for the afternoon.

* * *

Tomoya was walking with Natsuki towards Mari and Anna's classroom to bid their goodbyes. Anna was first to come out of their room and talk to Natsuki. There, he explained that he's going to meet with Yukirin for some date suggestions. Anna blushed a little upon hearing the word date, making Natsuki blush too. Meanwhile, Tomoya waited until Mari went outside her room to talk to him.

"What?" she said, her voice still serious. Tomoya patted her head playfully, much to Mari's annoyance.

"I'm meeting with Yukirin today. Together with Natcchan. So, you could go home with Kobayakawa-san today." he casually said. Since her head was looking on the ground, Tomoya couldn't see what her reaction was. He thought that she was still mad at him, so he took her silence as a yes. But before leaving, he placed a small kiss on her head before saying 'see you tomorrow'. As he was about to turn around and leave with Natsuki, he felt a tug on the hem of his sleeves, preventing him from walking farther away. It wasn't that strong, but it was enough to catch his attention.

Much to his surprise, Mari's petite fingers hung on his sleeve. Slightly confused, he decided to stay for a bit.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Mari didn't respond, her head still hung and her grip was still on his sleeve.

"D-d-do-don't… meet up… w-walk… me… h-h-home." she stuttered as quietly as she can. Despite her meek voice, Tomoya still heard her and what she said could probably give him a heart attack. With a chuckle, he placed his free arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

"Fine. I'll walk you home." he whispered back.

Lucky for Tomoya, Anna wanted to tag along with Natsuki's meet up with Yukirin. That way, he wouldn't feel like the fifth wheel. He suggested that he and Mari would come along too, but his girlfriend insisted that they go home because apparently, her brother was coming to visit her.

"Oh come on, Mari-chan. I know full well that you just want me all to yourself instead of hanging with Natsuki and the others." he teased her as they walked to the train station hand in hand. With dread obvious in her façade, she replied.

"You're so gross." she muttered as she squeezed his hand a bit. Tomoya snickered. Shortly after their walk, they reached the train station and got on the train. Fortunately for them, the train wasn't that full and they got to sit down on one of the train's seats.

"You loooooooove me. And you got jealous of Yukirin, right? Man who knew you'd be this possessive." he said teasingly that only annoyed his girlfriend even more.

"Shut up! I told you that I don't get jealous!" she retorted, her face as red as a ripe tomato.

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say." Tomoya said, as if surrendering. Deep inside though, he was sure that his girlfriend got at least a tiny bit jealous. And that made him even crazier for her. Reluctantly, Mari scooted a bit closer to Tomoya and leaned her head on his shoulder. Taken by surprise, he glanced at his raven-haired girlfriend. Then, he smiled.

"Just you know, I'm only yours, Ma-ri-chan~"

After a few seconds of silence, Mari replied.

"I know." she mumbled as she tightened her grip on his hand.


	4. Positive Changes

**Yo~ I'm back with another one-shot! Seriously you guys, your reviews are what keeps me going! I really appreciate every single review I read, so it just inspires me to write more fics of our favorite babies~**

 **And of course a special shout out to Rubikcube124 and foureyesfreak27! You guys help me to create this stories~ You don't know how thankful I am for answering to my requests :D You guys are awesome, hands down.**

 **I hope you enjoy this one! :)**

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Kobayakawa Anna had always observed her best friend, Tsutsui Mari, at all times. Even when they weren't even friends yet, she had her eye on her, partially curious about her and mainly, worried. But these days, she knows that she doesn't have to worry about her anymore, since she and Matsunaga Tomoya are currently a couple. It was quite odd, Anna thought. Mari had always spoken badly about him and at times, even "hated" him. But despite her words and actions, weirdly enough, Anna could tell that what she shows outside is the exact opposite of what she really feels inside. And sure enough, she was right.

Mari entered their classroom with a glare that could kill a grown man. This was almost an everyday thing for her, so Anna was quite used to it. It's either her favorite food was sold out or she and Tomoya had another argument. Based from her experience as Mari's best friend, it was usually the latter.

"Mari-chan… what's wrong?" Anna asked the fuming raven-haired girl as she sat down on her desk with a grunt.

"The _stupid idiot_ was being stupid. Again. Ugh! I don't know why I even date him in the first place! He's such an idiot!" Mari complained with her hands crossed on her chest. Anna could only smile at her and placed a comforting hand on her friend's back. She already knows what Mari was about to say next anyway.

"But's he's _my_ idiot." Mari muttered quietly. Anna chuckled and patted Mari's back gently.

"I'm glad you're getting along with Matsunaga-san quite nicely." Anna said, receiving a somehow dreadful look from Mari.

"Really? We argue all the time. I don't think that a sign of 'getting along'. I don't even think we're real couple." Mari said, somehow feeling anxious. She didn't want to say it out loud because the thought of breaking up with— yep, never mind that. She didn't bother to finish her thoughts.

"Well I think that there are different meanings, the same as with people having different personalities."

"Huh?"

"I mean, Naoe-san and Yukirin-san get along through playing their games. They don't seem like a real couple but in reality, they love each other very much." Anna explained whereas Mari could only stare at Anna, carefully processing what she just said. Of course she understood it, but she was trying to find her connection with Tomoya. When and how did she came to like the big red-headed creeper?

"Hey Anna, do you think Tomoya and I… y-you know… look like a real couple?" she asked shyly, her gaze down on her desk, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Anna was a bit startled at her question since she herself was clueless about matters regarding relationships but nonetheless, she gave her an answer.

"I'm quite inexperienced myself, but from what I can see, you do look like a real couple. You don't say it Mari-chan, but you really care about Matsunaga-san, right?" Anna said. She was unsure of what she was saying but for the sake of her best friend, she wanted to give it a try. On the other hand, Mari blushed furiously. She can't really deny it now, can she?

"Y-y-yeah… I guess you could say that." she muttered shyly, her cheeks heating up.

"And I may not know Matsunaga-san that well yet, but I think he knows that too. And you know full well that he cares about you, right? So I guess… that's what makes you a real couple." she said with a small smile. Mari looked up from her desk and transferred her gaze to her best friend, her eyes twinkling with tears at the side and a trembling smile.

"He really is an idiot." Mari said as she breathed out in relief.

' _And you love that idiot so much, right?_ ' Anna wanted to say it to her, but she decided to just keep it to herself. Mari would probably get mad again and deny it altogether. In their situation right now, love was such a heavy word that can't be spoke so lightly yet. The word would slowly creep up on them, but right now's not the moment for it. Right now, all that matters is how they really feel inside and the reciprocation of those certain feelings.

After a few seconds, Mari was back to her cheery self as she suggested to Anna that they should eat at that new café sometime. Anna was glad that Mari recovered easily today. It was as if something in her just opened; it was as if Mari discovered something new that could change her life. As the two of them talked, a classmate had called Mari's name, saying that someone was at the corridor looking for her. Knowing who it was, she stood up and smiled at Anna before walking towards their room's door. Anna returned the smile.

As Mari went out the room, she crossed her arms and looked up at Tomoya. On the other hand, the red head could only scratch the back of his neck shyly.

"Look, Mari, I couldn't sit still knowing that you are so freaking mad at me, alright? I mean, it really _is_ your fault and I only did that because I was just being a good boyfriend, so I came here to say that I'm—"

"I'm sorry." Mari muttered as she stared down on the ground. Taken by surprise, Tomoya looked at her with wide eyes.

"I know that you were just being you because you care for me and I… appreciate that." she said, still not looking up at him. "So I'm sorry for being a bad girlfriend."

Recovering from the earlier shock, Tomoya smiled softly at her and patted her head gently. Mari blushed slightly upon feeling the contact of his hand on her head.

"Nah, you're not a bad girlfriend. You're just you. And that's what made me like you. You're a bit dishonest- no, you are absolutely dishonest with your feelings, so when you show it, I'm completely and utterly defeated by you. I mean seriously, you have no idea what your effect on me is." he said with a huge grin.

Mari, who was caught by surprise, looked up at Tomoya as she heard what he said. Anna was right. She doesn't show Tomoya what she really feels but he gets it because he cares about her just as much. Somehow, her body moved on her own as she walked a step closer towards her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around him. As usual, Tomoya was shocked by his girlfriend's suddenness but for the two and half months that they have been dating, he has gotten quite used to it. As he recovered from Mari's surprise hug, he placed his arms around her as he smiled to himself.

"I swear, Mari-chan. You are such a tease."

"Shut up, creeper. You're ruining the moment." Mari muttered with a small smile, her head leaning on his chest.

* * *

Mari entered their classroom after a few minutes. Anna noticed that Mari's mood lightened, so she assumed that the two had already made up. As the raven-haired girl sat down, Anna decided to entertain her curiosity.

"Mari-chan, what did you and Matsunaga-san argue about this time?" she asked. Mari blushed a bit and twirled her hair with her finger shyly as she answered.

"W-well, when we went home yesterday, some woman walked up to me and asked if she could get my friend's number. And apparently, the "friend" she meant was actually Tomoya. I was about to scream at her when he stepped in and smoothly got rid of her. I guess jealousy got the better of me, because it seemed that he wasn't bothered by it all so I got mad at him. In the end, I went home by myself and left him at the train station. And then our argument continued until lunch today. That's it." Mari narrated the events to Anna, who was intently listening to her.

"Oh… I see. So you two made up now?" Anna asked.

"Y-yeah, I guess you could say that. I apologized to him." Mari replied with a small smile.

"That's good to hear." Anna said, returning the smile. The two then went on with their conversation until lunch break was over and afternoon classes are about to resume.

Lately, ever since Mari and Tomoya dated, Anna observed changes in her best friend. And it isn't the usual negative changes, it was quite positive. She smiles more, she laughs more and her aura was brighter. Anna is sure that it's all thanks to Tomoya. And because of that, she was also very sure that Mari is in good hands because she isn't the only one that worries for her best friend anymore. Someone else is there by her side who cares truly for Mari, the same way she does.


	5. Monday Morning

**Aaaaaaaaand I'm back with a one-shot!**

 **Sorry it took me so long ;A; I was totally out of ideas. I need dem suggestions huhuhuhu**

 **Anyways, this is only a very short chapter since I ran out of ideas again. Whoopee. I miss writing about these two and I hope they get more screen time in the manga. The latest chap is about Tsuyoshi and Yukirin, I think? Dunno what's going on anymore :'(**

 **I hope you enjoy this reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally short one-shot~**

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Matsunaga Tomoya found it slightly weird that his girlfriend, Tsutsui Mari was looking oddly cheery. It was a Monday, and there was absolutely no reason to feel cheery about going to school. Well, maybe except seeing Mari and probably his friends as well. They count.

With their hands linked together, the two of them were on the way to school after Tomoya picked her up from the train station.

Her mood still on his mind and although it was risky, he decided to ask her the reason for her positive mood.

"You're looking extra cheery today, Mari-chan. Is it because you saw me first thing in the morning?" he said with a teasing grin, only to receive a blatant stare from her. She rolled her eyes before responding.

"Uh, no. And the first thing I saw this morning was your cheesy text. It did not make my morning any better." she replied. Her statement alone felt like a huge boulder hit him in the head. And since this was Mari, he was already used to it. He knows she doesn't mean it, but that doesn't mean he can't tease her further.

"Aww, what? It didn't?" Tomoya whined, and then scratching the back of his neck as if he was disappointed. "Should I stop sending you those texts every morning?"

Slightly taken aback, Mari turned her attention to her boyfriend and was surprised with his reaction. She expected him to get all whiney like a kid throwing a tantrum. Somehow, she felt bad for what she said.

"Did I tell you stop? And maybe it made my morning a bit better, who knows." she muttered, her face flushed with red. Chuckling to himself, he placed an arm around Mari and pulled her closer towards him so that he could place a kiss on her forehead.

"Dang, you're cute when you try to hide what you really feel." he said as Mari lightly punched his chest.

"Sh-shut up." she replied.

"Now seriously, besides my oh-so romantic text this morning, what else made you this cheery?" he asked as he held her hand once again.

Mari glanced up at Tomoya, somewhat unsure if she should tell him. It wasn't that big of a deal, she thought.

"My brother is going to stay over at my place for the whole week. His wife is going out-of-town with her friends and he said that he missed me." she replied. Though she sounded nonchalant while saying it, she felt absolutely giddy deep inside.

On the other hand, Tomoya blinked after hearing what Mari just said. He remembered that her brother always had a special place in her heart, and no man can take that from her. Oddly enough, the red head could only mutter a small "oh" as a reply. Raising an eyebrow, Mari found it extremely odd.

"What?" she asked him, slightly worried. As if snapping from his thoughts, Tomoya shook his head and looked down at her.

"Huh, whu? Oh, it's nothing. Good for you right? You'll see your brother for a whole week! Cool." he said, turning back to his old self in a second.

But Mari won't be fooled.

She knows him too well to sense if something was bothering him or not.

"Tomoya," she said seriously, though her voice was soft. "What is it?"

Blinking, Tomoya transferred her gaze from Mari to the opposite side, unsure of what to say.

"Well, you see… it's—ah, I'm too embarrassed to say it!"

"I'm pretty sure you've said a lot of embarrassing things already! Why get all shy now?"

Tomoya stopped walking as he bit his lip, still unsure. Mari folder her arms across her chest as she looked up at him, waiting from him to talk.

"We'll get late-"

"Okay, I _might_ have been slightly, teeny, tiny bit jealous." he muttered quietly. This time, Mari blinked. What the hell would he be jealous of?

"Are you… jealous of my brother?" she asked. Tomoya then covered his face with his hands, his ears bright red.

"Don shay it ot lowd! (Don't say it out loud!)" he muttered. Still gaping at her boyfriend, Mari's lips cracked in to a small smile. Who knew that Tomoya would get all embarrassed because of this?

"He's my brother for crying out loud. Why the hell would you get jealous of him?" she asked as she grabbed his hand and continued their walking. With his face still red, Tomoya heaved a deep sigh.

"It's- it's just different, you know? I know he's your brother and he'll always be special to you but he's not the only man in your life right now." the red head said as he squeezed Mari's hand with his, feeling her warmth. Mari glanced at him, and then transferred her gaze on the ground.

"And I can't help it too. I _am_ just a human after all. You're brother's a great guy by the way. His wife is so lucky to have him. I just wish you'd be as cheery as you are now when you see me." he said meekly, his voice getting lower. When they were meters away from their school's gate, Mari let his hand go and walked a few steps ahead before stopping. Tomoya stopped walking too.

"Listen, you have no idea how happy I am when I see you every day at the train station waiting for me." she said. Tomoya couldn't see her facial expression but he was sure as hell that she was blushing.

"You're slightly a bit more special than Ma-kun." she added, though her voice was quieter.

It took a few seconds for Tomoya to react.

He laughed softly and then walked towards her as he grabbed her hand to make her face him. And as he expected, her face was as red as a ripe tomato.

"H-hey!" Mari exclaimed. Thank goodness it was a bit early and there were only very few students entering the school. Otherwise, Mari would've fainted from embarrassment.

"You're cuter when you're honest with your feelings though." he said with a huge grin. Mari could only sigh.

"Seriously, shut up." she muttered as she tried to cover her face with her arm. Chuckling, Tomoya gently tugged her arm down so that he could see her flushed face once more. He then cupped her cheeks with his hands, caressing her with his thumb.

"When it comes to saying what I feel for you, I just can't." he said, a little bit more serious this time. Mari could only sigh in defeat.

"We're in public, you dumbass."

"I couldn't care less."

Mari grunted before grabbing his wrists and pulling them down. With a small huff, she turned her heel and crossed her arms, walking a few steps ahead. Tomoya could only laugh at her reaction.

"…we'll just continue this later, got that?" she muttered as she continued walking ahead. Tomoya felt his face heat as his heart beat twice as normal. She did it to him again.

"Man, she still got it." he muttered as he tried to catch up with her pace. The two then entered their school gate on a bright, Monday morning.

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 **I'm thinking of writing a one-shot with Ma-kun in it. With him interrogating Mattsun and acting all tough though he can't cuz he's cool just like that. We'll see, ayt?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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